Electric-light button.



J. FORTAS (Ez J. R. JACKSON.

ELECTRIC LIGHT BUTTON.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, 1909.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

THE NoRms PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, u. c.

JOSEPH FORTAS AND JOSEPH. R. JACKSON, )F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT BUTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

Application filed December 3, 1909. Serial No. 531,221.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OSEPH Forms and JosnrI-r It. JAoKsoN, citizens ofthe United States, both residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby andState of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric-Light Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

It is well known that the sockets of incandescent electric light bulbsas at present constructed, usually embody a switch pin which projectsout from the socket and a button of vulcanite or the like in which theflat projecting end of the switch pin is embedded, said button beinggrasped in order to close or open the switch to turn the light on oroff. When a button of this character breaks, it is necessary in order toturn the light on or ofi, to grasp the relatively small projecting flatend of the switch pin directly with ones fingers, which is manifestly aninconvenient and unsatisfactory expedient at the best, or to throw awaythe entire socket and buy a new one.

With a knowledge of these conditions, our present invention has for itsprimary object to do away with these disadvantageous features ofincandescent electric lights, and, more specifically, to provide abutton which may be easily applied to the projecting end of a switch pinof an electric lamp socket, either after the ordinary hard rubber buttonabove mentioned has been broken off, or as a component part of the lampsocket when the same is manufactured and sold, our improved button beingfrictionally held in place on the end of the switch pin and se-' curelymaintained thereon, but being readily removable whenever desired so thatit may be easily replaced by another, should occa-' sion require.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and combina tions of the parts that we shall hereinafterfully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective illustrating the application or use of ourimproved turnbutton; Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof;

and, Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the switch pin of anincandescent electric lamp socket and of any desired conventionalconstruction or design, and 2 designates the relatively fiat and broadpro jecting end of said pin, the same as are ordinarily now in use.

Our invention comprises, essentially, a button 3 designed for detachableengagement with the projecting end of the switch pin, said button beingformed of any desired substance or material and the body portion thereofbeing constructed in one or more parts, as desired. In the presentinstance, the body portion of the button is composed of twocorresponding parts arranged with their flat faces in contact with eachother and held together as by rivets or the like, as clearly illustratedin the drawing. The button sections are formed in their opposing faceswith recesses 4, which together form a chamber in which a clasp 5,preferably of spring steel, is re ceived, said clasp being preferablycomposed of a single piece of metal and embodying jaws 6 designed toembrace the flat end 2 of the switch pin, said jaws terminating intransversely curved tongues 7 which extend over and securely hug theround portion of the pins contiguous to the flattened end 2 so as tosecurely hold the button on the switch pin after the same has beenpushed into place. The tongues 7 are relatively smaller than the mainportion of the jaws 6 and project out through the reduced opening 8 thatis formed at one end of the chamber produced by the recesses 4, this construction and arrangement of parts securely holding the clasp within thebutton.

-From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, the operation of our improved turn-button will be apparent. Inthe practical use of the device, it is only necessary to slip the button over the projecting end of the switch pin, the tongues 7 passinginto snug frictional engagement with the rounded or tion of the switchpin next to the flattened end 2 so as to hold the button securely on theswitch pin by the spring and frictional action produced, the saidflattened end 2 being received in the main jaws 6 of the clasp 5, in anevident manner.

Manifestly, the device can be very cheaply assembled, as it is composedof very few parts and it is obvious that it will be durable and notliable to get out of order.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The herein described turn-button for the purpose specified,comprising a body portion formed with a chamber, and a clasp held insaid chamber and embodying relatively fiat jaws and tongues extendingfrom the jaws at one end, said tongues extending out from one end of thechamber.

2. As a new article of manufacture, the herein described turn-button,comprising a JOSEPH FORTAS. m JOSEPH R. JACKSON. [n 3.

\Vitnesses EUGENE W. ROY, JAMEs P. KELTY.

